Exactly four weeks ago quite a few of us celebrated the Europe day, May 9th. A kind of National Day for the European Union where Sweden is one of as many as 27 member countries.
One of my colleagues at the Embassy floated the idea that some year we might jointly celebrate our national days that day. And there certainly could be some sense in that – seeing an increasingly strong all-european identity developing in Sweden.
In parallel however we also see an increasing attention and importance being attached to this National Day of our own country – just a couple of years ago being transformed into a national holiday. An attention partly explained by the importance of finding ways to keep the increasingly diversified society of Sweden together – moving rapidly during my own lifetime from the rather unicultural society of my childhood to the strongly multicultural society of today. Illustrating the theme of the Europe Day recently: Together in diversity.
I think there are three questions you have the right to get answers to in a National Day speech like this – before it sooner rather than later comes to an end. First: Why this day? Secondly: What is especially Swedish here and now? And thirdly: Does the Ambassador have any very short and reasonably sensible message to express before letting us go on with what we primarily are here for – to eat, drink and mingle?
These are my answers.
Why is June 6th the Swedish national day? Two reasons: Since it was the day when king Gustavus Vasa was elected 1523 it symbolises – as National Days often do – a major step towards national unity and independence. But perhaps more relevant today: Since it was the day when our first pluralistic constitution was signed 199 years ago it symbolises the democratic development of our country, abolishing the monolithic inheritance of the past and substantially contributing to the checks and balances so crucial for a vital democracy.
Secondly: Is there anything Swedish here today except for the flag and the Swedes? Yes, basically three things: Swedish images presented over there. Swedish food served by the waiters. And Swedish music being heard all over the place. Here we have taken the liberty to shamelessly impose on you the music taste of the Herrström family – having done the selection all four of us together. With the consequence that we all the time come back to the composer Benny Andersson and the singer Helen Sjöholm. (We feared that we might experience some traditional Swedish rain showers too but fortunately we were spared from that.)
And thirdly the possible message of mine. Do I have one? Yes – one.
Since many of us are dealing with development cooperation we tend to focus very much on that part of the Swedish-Tanzanian relation. What Sweden gives and has given to Tanzania.
But I want to highlight the other angle of this relation: Everything that Tanzania gives and has given to Sweden.
There is what you might call a software aspect of this: real friendship between thousands and thousands of individuals, women and men, from NGO:s, universities, churches, private business, aid professionals. One of my colleagues having recently arrived in this country described what I also heard much of myself: Are you moving to Tanzania – how nice, I know a guy having worked there… You can even be greeted in Swedish while coming here, passing the gate at the airport. Some of us Swedes are often quite bad at greetings – we ought to learn from here.
Another colleague highlighted the role Tanzania has played for the generations growing up during the 60’s and 70’s – Tanzania being the country placing Africa on our world map. Tanzania providing knowledge and in depth understanding of the African context to so many Swedes – students ad non-students alike. I remember myself – showing solidarity in trade in my youth was identical with buying Tanzanian coffee… And not to forget how we as Swedes and citizens of the global community benefit from the heritage of the amazing nature and culture of this fantastic country.
But there are also hardware stuff. Scania trucks. The mutually profitable Swedfund-investment in Twiga cement. Ericsson having got 50% of the market for mobile systems. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of Swedish academicians having based their studies and thesis’ on research in Tanzania, together with Tanzanians. The well profiled Swedish hivaids-research started twenty-two years ago – not in Sweden, it started here in Tanzania.
That is my message: We are grateful for this relation, for what you have been giving to us and for what we have been able to achieve together. Let’s continue – not exactly in the same way but building upon the history we have together from Barbro Johansson and Olof Palme adapting to new circumstances. Sweden as part of Europe, Tanzania as part of Africa – now even chairing the African union. I think we can do a lot. Let me just stress one area of major importance and of strong personal engagement from myself: free media, transparency and improved right to information for ordinary citizens, Tanzanian women and men.
We have a history together, we certainly have an exciting future together.